Green in the Teeth

Maya's lungs burned like she'd swallowed actual fire. Cross country practice wasn't supposed to be this intense on day three, but Coach Davis had decided last minute that they needed extra conditioning. Of course he had.

"Keep pushing! Don't let me see you walking!" Davis yelled from his golf cart like he was doing anything remotely close to running.

The September sun beat down on them as Maya's ponytail whipped against her neck. Her normally cooperative brown hair had decided today was the day to rebel, frizzing out like she'd stuck her finger in an electrical socket. Great. Just what she needed—another thing to be self-conscious about.

Liam jogged up beside her, looking unfairly effortless. His curls were somehow perfectly contained, and he wasn't even sweating that much. "Yo, you good? You look like you're dying."

"I'm fantastic," Maya gasped. "Never better. This is my natural state."

He laughed—that annoyingly cute laugh that made her stomach do weird things. "Wanna hit the water fountain after this loop?"

Wait. Was he asking her to hang? Like, voluntarily? Maya's brain short-circuited. "Yeah, sure. Cool."

"Cool." He flashed a smile and sped up.

Maya mentally high-fived herself, then remembered they were still running and immediately regretted everything.

At lunch, Maya sat with her best friends, Jae and Chloe, feeling oddly confident. She'd survived practice. Liam had basically asked her out (maybe?). Life was looking up.

"So," Jae said, examining Maya's tray with judgment. "You're really gonna eat that spinach salad? Again?"

"It's healthy!" Maya defended, though she privately agreed it tasted like sadness and dirt. Still, she'd read somewhere that spinach gave you energy, and she needed all the help she could get.

"You know that stuff gets stuck in your teeth constantly," Chloe pointed out.

Maya rolled her eyes. "I think I know how to eat, Chloe."

Then Liam walked by their table.

"Hey Maya," he called, giving her that smile again. "See you at practice tomorrow."

She smiled back, feeling absolutely unstoppable. "See ya!"

As soon as he was out of earshot, Jae burst out laughing. Chloe literally fell out of her chair.

"What?" Maya demanded, suddenly self-conscious. "What's so funny?"

"Maya," Chloe gasped, tears forming in her eyes. "You have—" She couldn't even finish.

"Huge piece of spinach right in your front teeth," Jae said somehow managing to speak through their laughter. "Like, you've been talking to everyone with that all day."

Maya's face burned hotter than cross country practice. She sprinted to the bathroom, ignoring her friends' laughter, and there it was—bright green, impossible to miss, extremely visible spinach, wedged between her two front teeth like it was paying rent.

She'd had conversations with seven people. SEVEN. Including Liam.

Maya groaned at her reflection, already imagining transferring schools. Maybe moving to a different country. Assuming a new identity.

Her phone buzzed.

Liam: haha ur friends told me about the spinach lol dont worry it was kinda adorable

Maya stared at her reflection—crazy hair, spinach trauma, zero dignity left. She smiled anyway. Maybe junior year wouldn't be so terrible after all.